Cricket: Findon give themselves survival chance - Southwick slip up again

Findon v Chichester Priory Park - Division 2

Findon CC have found form - and they followed up their surprise win over Haywards Heath with a victory over Chichester Priory Park.

Here is Stephen Goodger's gallery from the match.

The hosts racked up 288-7, anchored by a superb knock of 164 from Harry Metters - backed up by a number of supporting innings, chiefy that of Alex Stephens with 63.

In Chi's reply Harrison Grayston and David Everett took three wickets each as Findon won by 143 runs.

Findon skipper Brad Bridson said: "That's two on the trot and have two massive games to come against Lindfield and St Peter’s in the next two weeks. We’ve given ourselves a chance now - whereas few weeks ago we dead and buried.

"Harry and Alex were outstanding with the bat and we were able to post a mammoth total and allowed Felix and Johann to score freely in the last 10 overs get us close to 300.

"We didn’t give them a sniff with the ball and were able to go through their top order, Kenny (Everett) and Harrison both bowled nicely and got good rewards where at times this season they’ve been unlucky."

Southwick v Horsted Keynes - Sussex League Division 7 Central

At a straw-like Buckingham Park stand-in Southwick skipper Craig Dawson won the toss and asked Horsted Keynes to bat first.

It was a decision that backfired as the away side racked up a huge score of 304/4 from their 40 overs.

Three of the Horsted batters notched half centuries, Harvey James top scoring with 84, opener Giles Emmerson helping himself to 72 and Stewart Fuller posting 57.

Of the Wickers bowlers Paul Grennan was his usual frugal (albeit wicketless) self, bowling eight overs for 31 runs. Harry Sutton managed to eke out two wickets but at the cost of 81 runs. Tom Wilson and Russ Martin bagged a wicket apiece.

Martin began well as Southwick’s batters attempted an unlikely chase but only Dawson managed to stay with him for any length of time and when Martin went for 35 and Dawson 40 the game was up.

Only four other batters scraped into double figures, one of whom !6-year-old Harry Cracknell made a pleasing 13.

Wickers eventually limped to 184 all out from 34 overs.

Peter Newson did most of the bowling damage clocking up figures of 8-0-45-6 ably supported by Chris Rampling and Steve Hitchen with 2 wickets each.

“It was a bad day at the office” said Dawson.

“Our batting and fielding wasn’t good enough.

"We were beaten by the better team on the day, Russ batted well after not playing for eight weeks, I managed some runs and Harry Cracknell batted well for his runs”.

St.Peter’s 6th v Southwick 2nd

St Peter’s posted a score 192 for 9 having been asked to bat by Wickers captain John Sharman.

Two of the homesters batters reached 35. The wickets were spread evenly among the Southwick attack with two wickets each for Chewy Gendre, Mike Barnes and debutants Jhian Fakouri and Harry Craic.

A clatter of early wickets put paid to Southwick’s hopes.

At 44/5 it took a half century (53) from Fakouri and a 20 from youngster Gendre to drag them back into the match.

But despite a late blast of 32 (8 fours!) from Christian Lloyd Wickers fell short by 22 runs.